Question 60
In this activity, you will play the part of a carbon atom in the carbon cycle.
First, make some big labels and stick them in five different places in the room. You only need one set of labels for the whole class.
IN THE AIR; INSIDE A PLANT; INSIDE AN ANIMAL; INSIDE A DECOMPOSER; IN A FOSSIL FUEL.
Now write the following numbers and what they mean on the board, where everyone will be able to see them from every part of the room:
1 photosynthesis
2 respiration
3 feeding
4 formation of fossil fuels
5 decomposition
6 combustion.
Divide the class except one person (who could be your teacher) between the five places. Each person is a carbon atom.
The one person who is not a carbon atom now holds a die. (A die is a cube with the numbers 1 to 6 on it. The plural is dice.) They roll it, and call out the number. All the carbon atoms who are affected by the process linked to this number, move to the correct place. For example, if the number is 1, then all the carbon atoms in the air move into a green plant, as a result of photosynthesis. If the number is 3, then all the carbon atoms in a green plant move into an animal.
You can keep a record of how many carbon atoms are in each place after each roll of the die.
First, make some big labels and stick them in five different places in the room. You only need one set of labels for the whole class.
IN THE AIR; INSIDE A PLANT; INSIDE AN ANIMAL; INSIDE A DECOMPOSER; IN A FOSSIL FUEL.
Now write the following numbers and what they mean on the board, where everyone will be able to see them from every part of the room:
1 photosynthesis
2 respiration
3 feeding
4 formation of fossil fuels
5 decomposition
6 combustion.
Divide the class except one person (who could be your teacher) between the five places. Each person is a carbon atom.
The one person who is not a carbon atom now holds a die. (A die is a cube with the numbers 1 to 6 on it. The plural is dice.) They roll it, and call out the number. All the carbon atoms who are affected by the process linked to this number, move to the correct place. For example, if the number is 1, then all the carbon atoms in the air move into a green plant, as a result of photosynthesis. If the number is 3, then all the carbon atoms in a green plant move into an animal.
You can keep a record of how many carbon atoms are in each place after each roll of the die.
